The present invention is directed to a cap or lid for beverage containers, and more particularly to a spill-proof cap which would easily fit a standard beverage container, such as a screw-top soft drink or water bottle commonly available in the market place.
At the present time, soft drink, water, and other liquid containing bottles are sold with tops or lids which must be removed to gain access to the liquid contained therein. Generally speaking, these types of bottles or containers are made for adults who either pour the contents of the container into another cup or drink directly therefrom. Although adults often drink directly out of these types of bottles, spilling is generally not a concern. This is different, however, for babies, toddlers, and particularly small children who like drinking out of the container to emulate adult behavior. It is not uncommon that small children, in attempting to drink directly out of a container, spill the liquid due to unforeseen events, such as an accident or careless handling of the container. Presently, supervising adults pour the contents from the container into another cup that is generally fitted with lids or caps which may prevent dripping or spilling of the liquid. Various examples of these types of cups are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,840,153; 5,065,909; 5,242,079; 5,079,013; 5,337,918; 5,540,341 and 5,542,670. Examples of beverage container caps are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,782,577 and 5,509,551. The Playtex Products, Inc., also markets a Spill-Proof.TM. cup covered by U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,013.
The conventional caps or lids either cannot be used to fit a standard soft drink or water bottle, or do not effectively prevent spilling or dripping of the liquid when used by small children. There is, therefore, a need in the industry for a spill-proof cap for standard soft drink, water, or other liquid containing bottles currently available on the market, which can be easily used by small children to drink the liquid directly out of the bottle without spilling or dripping.